Breaking down the Cincinnati Bengals roster after two preseason games

C.J. Uzomah (7), Mason Schreck (4), Drew Sample (3), Thaddeus Moss (2), Mitchell Wilcox (1)

Seems like they’re still looking for a consistent third tight end behind Uzomah and Sample from the trio of Schreck, Wilcox and Moss. That process got slowed Friday when Wilcox didn’t play because of injury. Schreck, the most experienced of the three, seemed like he played better than he did in the opener and Moss is looking for room to show his explosion in the pass game. Playing out all the way to the end.

T Riley Reiff (10), G Xavier Su’a-Filo (8), G Quinton Spain (7), C-G Trey Hopkins (6), C-G Billy Price (4), T Fred Johnson (3), G Michael Jordan (3), G-T Keaton Sutherland (3), T Jonah Williams (3), G-T Hakeem Adeniji (2), T Isaiah Prince (2), G-T Jackson Carman (R), G-C Trey Hill (R), T D’Ante Smith (R) T Gunnar Vogel (R)

The line drew six flags (two on the first series), the first offense got one first down against one of the top defensive lines in the league and they had just 214 yards the entire night. But there seems to be a sense that it is coming along better than last year.

The first group didn’t allow a sack or pressure against the rushers that wreaked havoc on them last year and the holding call on Spain during the screen Mixon got 17 yards on the game’s first play looked questionable at best. Spain is a big man that gives them a presence on that left side.

And it looked to be a good night for the young guys, particularly Carman and Hill. Jordan also seemed to hold his own. Physically, the kids are NFL impressive. And, remember, 35-inch armed D’Ante Smith had been working as the left guard with the first group before dehydration knocked him out of Friday’s game.

Carman played better than he did in the opener and appeared to get to the second level more consistently. Hill had a couple of penalties, but he appeared to impress them on most of his offense-leading 45 snaps. The thing about Hill is he’s the one backup they’ve got that can play all three interior spots.

Maybe you keep ten here and three backs and six receivers. The interesting thing here is you could have some guys either be an Opening Day starter or get cut. The other interesting thing is they’ve juggled the guards, but do they put the two out there next Sunday that they think are going to start on Sept. 12?

T Mike Daniels (10), NT D.J. Reader (6), E Trey Hendrickson (5), T Larry Ogunjobi (5), E Sam Hubbard (4), NT Josh Tupou (4), T Kahill McKenzie (3), NT Renell Wren (3), E Amani Bledsoe (2), E Khalid Kareem (2), E Darius Hodge (R) Wyatt Hubert (R), E Joseph Ossai (R), E Cam Sample (R), T Tyler Shelvin (R)

Devastating report that they fear Ossai is out for the year with torn meniscus. He apparently hurt his knee a few plays before he injured his wrist on the 22nd and last snap of his spectacular debut of sack and five pressures. They hope to replace a third-rounder with a second-rounder in Spence, a 6-2, 250-pound fifth-year player who has 7.5 sacks in 41 NFL games with three teams and missed all last season with a torn ACL. The Saints had him for the past two seasons before releasing him six days ago.

The big men are as advertised, aren’t they? The free agents, Ogunjobi and Hendrickson, have been terrific. (Hendrickson clearly looks like a big-time player vs. the run and the pass.) All Shelvin does is take up space and play better than he practices. Reader and Tupou make them as stout as they’ve been since the Domata Peko days. They like Wren, too, so there’s a battle for the fifth tackle. Some nice depth there.

They wish they had some of that on the edge. Sample continues to look like an excellent fourth-round pick behind Hendrickson and Hubbard, but it’s not clear when Kareem (shoulder) is going to be available and Ossai apparently is no longer an option any time soon.

You have to count Hodge as a nickel rusher, not a linebacker, but they’re clearly interested in the undrafted rookie from Marshall. He’s got 1.5 sacks, six pressures and a tipped pass. And he got the tipped pass when they put him in on the second series against Washington’s first group. His cause was helped by no one blocking him, but a tipped pass is a tipped pass. He’s not going to be in there on the run, so can they afford a spot for a raw, pure rusher?

Sure. Depending on the injury situation. And if they go with a roster makeup of ten D-linemen, five backers and 10 DBs, he would seem to have a shot.